Collings 470 JL R Guitar: A High-End Instrument for Serious Musicians
The Collings 470 JL R is a highly sought-after electric guitar, designed and crafted by the renowned guitar maker Bill Collings. This instrument is a perfect blend of traditional design, modern functionality and tonal versatility, making it an ideal choice for serious musicians across a wide range of musical genres.
Design and Craftsmanship:
The Collings 470 JL R is designed with a vintage-style body shape and an ultra-thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish. The body is made from premium lightweight swamp ash and features a maple top, giving it a well-balanced tonal response and an outstanding projection. The neck is made from a single piece of maple and features a thin “V” profile for easy playability. The fingerboard is made from Indian rosewood, adding to the guitar’s visual appeal and enhancing its tonal character.
Pickups and Electronics
The Collings 470 JL R comes equipped with a set of custom-wound John LR Baggs pickups, offering a wide range of tonal options. The pickups are paired with a 3-way switch and a volume control knob, allowing players to switch between a variety of tonal options easily. The guitar also features a built-in LR Baggs buffer preamp, which helps to preserve the guitar’s tone when used with long cable runs or pedalboards.
Playability:
The Collings 470 JL R is designed for serious musicians who demand the best in playability and tone. The guitar’s neck profile is comfortable and fast, making it easy to play complex chord progressions and solos. The frets are expertly dressed, ensuring that the guitar plays in tune up and down the neck. The lightweight body and fast neck profile combination make the Collings 470 JL R an ideal instrument for players who require maximum versatility in their playing.
It represents everything I love about the electric guitar and is infused with the elegance and mastery that Collings brings to every instrument. It speaks to the early days of electric guitars, raw and powerful and alive, and points to the future as well. I can’t wait to hear it in the hands of other guitarists!
Julian Lage
Sound
The Collings 470 JL R delivers a rich, warm, and well-balanced tone that is perfect for a wide range of musical styles. The guitar’s tonal character is defined by its combination of premium tonewoods, custom pickups, and sophisticated electronics. Whether you are playing jazz, blues, rock, or country, the Collings 470 JL R can deliver the tone and feel you need.
The Collings 470 JL R is a high-end electric guitar that offers serious musicians a perfect blend of vintage design, modern functionality, and tonal versatility. With its lightweight body, fast neck profile, and outstanding tonal character, the Collings 470 JL R is the perfect instrument for players who demand the best in sound, playability, and craftsmanship.
Construction | Fully hollow w/ trestle block |
Body | Solid Honduran mahogany |
Top | Maple laminate |
Neck | Honduran mahogany |
Body Binding | Non-grained ivoroid |
Fingerboard Binding | Ebony |
Peghead Binding | None |
Bridge | Pinned ebony base w/ tune-o-matic saddle top (nylon saddles) |
Tailpiece | Bigsby vibrato B3 |
Fingerboard | Ebony w/ graduated pearl dots |
Fingerboard Radius | 12″ |
Pickups | Ron Ellis Ellisonics (custom adjustable height) |
Pots/Caps | DiMarzio 500K / Jupiter Vintage Yellow / Orange Drop Treble Bleed |
Knobs | Black/Silver or Black/Gold Reflector Top |
Pickup Rings | Black Phenolic |
Nut | 1 11/16″ Delrin |
Scale Length | 24 7/8″ |
Neck Joint | Extra long mortise & tenon |
Frets | Medium 18% nickel-silver |
Peghead Veneer | Ebony w/ MOP Collings Script logo |
Peghead Profile | 470 Haircut |
Tuners | Relic nickel Waverly with vintage oval buttons (16:1 ratio) |
Wiring | 470 Wiring (master volume, two tones) |
Guitar Finish | High gloss nitrocellulose lacquer |
Pickguard | Acrylic Tortoise (1-ply) or Parchment (3-Ply) |
Truss Rod Cover | Black/Cream/Black |
Strings | D’Addario NYXL1149 (.011″ – .049″) |
Case | Deluxe hardshell case by Ameritage |